Flicking a side spin serve
Resznotes asked 4 years ago
Hi, Dan and Tom.
In your video on returning a short side spin serve I believe you used a forehand flick when the serve was curving to your forehand side. Is a forehand flick always the best choice for this serve, or could you use the backhand flick? The ball is spinning away from your backhand, but does it matter? Would a backhand flick do enough to counter the side spin, or am I likely to miss the shot by using the backhand?
Thanks,
Sue
Dan Academy Coach answered 4 years ago
Hi Sue,
Great question, there are many players who use the backhand flick from the forehand side, it’s just a case of reading and seeing the serve early to make the move. Generally you can get more power and spin on the ball using the backhand flick so players tend to step across and backhand flick from the forehand corner. The only real downside to this is recovering for your next shot can be difficult.
To answer your question, you are likely to miss the backhand if you came in to late for the backhand flick. If you see the serve early and move over quick enough the backhand flick is a nice shot to use. It’s about mixing your returns up to keep your opponents guessing, so use the backhand and forehand flick. The more you practice at this the better your decision making becomes on which shot to choose. Remember to stay low when you come across to do the backhand flick.
Hope this helps Sue 🙂
Dan
ResznotesThat helps a lot, Dan. Thanks. I knew that players used the backhand flic from the forehand side, but I didn’t know if it would be a bad idea with sidespin kicking the ball away from the backhand. You make a good point about getting there early. Varying shots is a really good idea, and I’m going to go for this one in the not too distant future.
